Social Tees Congratulates Diana on her excellent 4th place finish in the LPGA John Q. Hammons Hotel Classic!
Way to go DEE!! We are so proud of you!Hello Social Tees Golfers,
Hope everyone is enjoying this section of the Social Tees website. I look forward to helping all of you and answering any questions you might have. Please feel free to ask anything; hopefully I will have an answer for you.
Social Tees Member: How did you know you wanted to become a professional golfer?
Dee: I was actually 13 when I knew that I wanted to become a professional golfer. It was during the summer and it was raining in NJ, so I wasn't able to go ride my horse (I used to ride horses competitively back then). I turned on the television and the LPGA was playing the women's Kemper Open in Hawaii (I've always loved to watch sports on TV, so I thought I'd see what golf had to offer).
It was the final round, and Nancy Lopez, Beth Daniel, and Betsy King were going down to the final hole neck and neck. It was very exciting; It ended up that Betsy King would make birdie, while Nancy Lopez made bogey, so Betsy won. I watched the trophy presentation and saw Betsy win something like $45,000, and I thought that maybe I wanted to do that. I could be outside, travel to great places like Hawaii, play a sport, and make money. What more could a person want? I had played a little bit of golf with my family during vacations prior to that summer, but never really thought anything of it. After watching that tournament, I knew that I wanted to play.
At that point, my father sold my horse, joined Newton Country Club, and taught me everything he knew. I had natural talent, so he tried to help me in any way he could. We found a teacher, first Ron Young, and then, at sixteen, came under the tutalage of David Glenz, whom I've been with ever since.
Once I set my goal to become a professional, all I did was play golf-- every day, morning till night. I played all the junior and amateur national tournaments that New Jersey and the tri-state area had to offer. Then I played junior and amateur national tournaments, which helped me get a full scholarship to college at Furman University (Betsy King went there, so I had to go there too)!
Social Tees Member: Are the Other Ladies on the LPGA Friendly Towards Each Other, Or Is there Hostility and Rivalry Amongst All Of You?
Dee: For the most part, everyone is very friendly toward each other. there isn't really any hostility. There will, of course, be rivalry, only because we are competing against each other. But I'm very supportive of my friends if they play well, just as they support me if I play well.
Social Tees: Have You Met Annika Sorenstam?
Dee: Yes, I know her. I see her every week in the locker room. She probably doesn't know my name, but we always say hi to each other. I haven't had the opportunity to play with her. I need to play better, so I can get into that pairing. :)
Social Tees: How About Tiger Woods? Have You Ever Met Him?
Dee: I have met Tiger Woods, but he would never remember. It was in 1991, and we were both playing in the Canon Cup, a junior team tournament. The best junior players from the East Coast play the best junior players from the West Coast. Tiger played for the west; I played for the East. . . Unfortunately, the west handed our behinds to us! But, I did end up sitting next to Tiger at the dinner, and you just knew he was gonna be awesome. And he is! Unbelievable!!!
I look forward to your questions, Social Tees members! Don't be shy, shoot them on over golfpro@socialtees.org. And, feel free to track my progress on LPGA.com.
Keep it in the Fairway!
~Diana
